Georgia's Cottage Food Law: Where It Stands and What May Come Next

Published ยท State law changes

Georgia made major changes to its cottage food law in 2025. HB 398 ended the state cottage food license, let home producers sell to grocery stores and restaurants and barred cities and counties from regulating cottage food items, with one exception. Georgia sets no limit on sales. The law still covers only foods that do not need temperature control for safety, so cheesecake and cream pies stay off the list. This guide explains where Georgia's law stands, what is still pending and, in a clearly labeled outlook, what changes may come next.

Note: This article is general information, not legal advice. Law details come from the Official Code of Georgia, the Georgia General Assembly's bill pages and the Georgia Department of Agriculture, or GDA, all linked below. Sources were checked on Nov. 1, 2026. The "Outlook" section is Cottage Food Directory's analysis, not a sourced forecast. GDA runs Georgia's Cottage Food Program, so confirm details with GDA before you act on them.

Georgia's law today

The Georgia cottage food law guide has the full rules, including the foods GDA lists and the labeling details.

How Georgia got here

How Georgia compares

Georgia's 2025 law is broad on where producers can sell. Florida, for example, has a $250,000 cap and does not allow wholesale sales, while Georgia has no cap and allows sales to stores and restaurants. Agency guidance in both states keeps shipping in-state. GDA says online sales go to end consumers within Georgia, and UF/IFAS Extension says Florida cottage foods may be shipped only within Florida. Sources: Fla. Stat. 500.80; GDA Cottage Food FAQ; UF/IFAS Extension, FS425.

On foods that need refrigeration, Georgia has not moved. Several states now allow some of those foods, each with conditions.

For a side-by-side look at the region, see Florida, Georgia and Alabama: How Southeastern Cottage Food Laws Compare. For the national picture, see Where Cottage Food Laws Are Headed: The 2025-2026 Wave and What Comes Next.

Outlook: what may come next in Georgia

This outlook is Cottage Food Directory's analysis. It is not a prediction from GDA or the General Assembly.

  1. Final GDA rules. The most concrete change ahead is GDA's rules update. GDA has said it will repeal old rules that conflict with HB 398. New rules could also settle open questions, such as which older label items, like ingredient lists and net weight, still apply, and what the store signage must say. The timing is unclear, since no proposal had been posted as of Nov. 1, 2026.
  2. A bill to allow some perishable foods. With no license, no cap and store sales already in place, the clearest remaining gap is the food list. A bill modeled on Tennessee, Texas or Colorado could let home producers sell items like cheesecake or cream cheese frosting with refrigeration, registration or training rules. Georgia has no such bill on file, so this is a possibility, not a trend in the state yet.
  3. Watch the local opt-out. HB 398 lets each county or city ban cottage food sales through stores and restaurants. How many local governments use that option will shape how far the store-sales change reaches. GDA must be notified before such an ordinance takes effect, so GDA is the place to ask. Source: O.C.G.A. 26-2-478, as passed (PDF).
  4. Shipping across state lines is unlikely to change at the state level. Georgia law does not exempt operators from federal law, and GDA warns that interstate sales may bring U.S. Food and Drug Administration oversight. A state bill cannot change federal rules. Sources: O.C.G.A. 26-2-477, as passed (PDF); GDA Cottage Food FAQ.
  5. Home restaurants are unlikely soon. California's microenterprise home kitchen operations, small restaurants run from a home kitchen, exist only where a city or county opts in. Serving plated meals from home would be a much bigger step than selling packaged foods. Source: California Department of Public Health: Microenterprise Home Kitchen Operations.

What Georgia operators can do now

Frequently asked questions

Do I still need a license to sell cottage food in Georgia?

No state license is needed since July 1, 2025. Local business license and zoning rules still apply. Source: GDA, HB 398 FAQ (PDF).

Can I sell cheesecake from my Georgia home kitchen?

Not as a cottage food operator. Baked goods with fillings that need refrigeration and foods that need temperature control for safety are not cottage food items. Source: O.C.G.A. 26-2-470(7) and (8), as passed (PDF).

Can I sell my cottage foods to a local grocery store or restaurant?

Yes, unless your county or city has adopted an ordinance banning those sales. The store must post signage and display cottage foods separately. Sources: O.C.G.A. 26-2-472, 26-2-473(d) and 26-2-478, as passed (PDF).

Is a bill pending to change Georgia's cottage food law?

None was found as of Nov. 1, 2026. The General Assembly's website did not yet list a 2027-2028 session. Sources: Georgia General Assembly, legislation search; Georgia General Assembly, legislation.

Official sources

To find home bakers and makers in the state, browse the Georgia listings.

This article is general information, not legal advice. Last reviewed Nov. 1, 2026.